The Demon Syndicate
by Wizard in the Corner
Summary: Five years after the Cell Games, the universe is plagued by war. As the war front pushes closer to Earth, Dende goes missing along with the dragon balls. Its up to Gohan and Vegeta to find Dende before the galactic war reaches Earth.
1. Dende 1

1\. Dende

High above the clouds the Lookout stood tall and unyielding as always. Dende stood at the edge leaning on his staff looking out over the clouds below. The clouds had darkened over the last couple of hours and rain was sure to come. The sun was setting, turning the sky into a sea of orange. It was Dende's favorite time of the day. He had watched the sun set every day since he first came to Earth. Sure enough Dende could hear the rain start to fall and could see the lightning surging through the rain clouds like bright flashing lights. It had been raining a lot lately, more than usual. He walked along the perimeter not stopping until he reached the gardens. The gardens were Dende's idea. He was feeling homesick so he made a garden behind the palace. The gardens were a mirror image of Planet Namek, his home planet until Frieza destroyed it. Everything was blue. The trees, hedges, and grass were all blue. Upon entering the gardens, Dende made a mental note to thank Mr. Popo for keeping the gardens so wonderful. Dende didn't know a harder working person the Mr. Popo. He walked through the rows of hedges until reaching a wooden bench. He sat down turning his head slightly to the left to watch the sun set. Dende's thoughts started to drift towards Gohan.

It was five years ago today that Gohan beat Cell and lost his father Goku. Goku's death was hard for everyone, but Gohan had the worst time coping with it. He blamed himself for his father's death. The last time Dende saw Gohan was when he went to visit with him after the Cell games. Gohan was a mess. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want to leave his room. As years pasted Dende received news that Gohan had found closure with Goku's death. Gohan never was the same though. He gave up fighting and focused solely on his studies. This news shocked everyone, a saiyan not wanting to fight. Dende assumed that it must be his human half. The humans must have strong will power if Gohan was able to suppress his saiyan instincts.

Dende closed his eyes and focused in on Piccolo's ki. Upon locating it, Dende stood up and sighed then made his way out of the gardens to the palace entrance. Piccolo had been gone for 3 weeks now training on his own. Piccolo had been leaving more and more lately to go for these long training trips. Dende knew there was something unsettling him, but never bothered to question him because he too has had a troubling feeling. It's something he couldn't explain, but instead could feel an unbalance on the Earth. Dende reached the entrance way, the sun was gone leaving the flashes from the lightning to light up the night sky. He turned around for one last look of the grounds. Just as a lightning flash brightened the sky, there standing on the edge, Dende thought he saw a silhouette, a shade slightly darker than the night. A second flash of lighting and the silhouette was gone in a blink of an eye. Startled slightly, Dende reached out with senses to locate any source of ki, but nothing was near. Relaxing, Dende assumed his eyes must be playing tricks on him; he had been feeling edgy lately and no one outside of the z-fighters knew how to suppress their ki or even bothered to do it. Dende breathed in deep then exhaled slowly, turned and went inside. Torches lined the walls lighting the hallways. Looking for Mr. PoPo, Dende decided to head to the kitchens and start there. His footsteps could be heard echoing off the marble floors. Making his way for the kitchen, his thoughts drifted to Vegeta.

Vegeta had taken the title of the strongest on the planet, though he would say strongest in the universe. Even though he hadn't ascended past a super saiyan he was now stronger than Gohan was when he defeated Cell. This drove Vegeta mad, he trained everyday trying to break through, but Dende knew he wouldn't do it by training alone. He remembered Goku saying that he became a super saiyan because his body responded to his need for more power in order to come out alive, not because of the want for power. Vegeta knew this too, which made him more frustrated and lead him to train even harder. Luckily saiyans get stronger by pushing themselves beyond their limits.

Dende was pulled out of his thoughts when he walked into the kitchen. Mr. Popo was there preparing himself a plate of food.

"Good evening Mr. Popo" Dende said.

"Really? I don't like rain even if we don't get wet." Mr. Popo responded

"I guess I get used to saying the same greetings all the time. I don't like the rain much either"

Dende filled a glass with water and took a seat at the end of the table. Mr. Popo sat down next to and took a bit of his food.

"I don't know how you live without eating delicious food" Mr. Popo said in between bits.

"Every time I see you eat, I still feel my insides turn." Dende responded

Mr. Popo had convinced Dende to try a bit of food, he was sick for over a week.

Dende shuttered at the thought.

"It's been raining a lot lately, have you noticed Mr. Popo" Dende inquired.

"I haven't given it much thought, but I suppose your right" Mr. Popo said.

"I can't place it, but something is making me uneasy and the rain is making it worse." Dende took a sip of his water before continuing, "I'll ask Piccolo what he thinks when he gets back".

"Dende, can I ask you something?"

"Ask way"

"Do you miss your home planet and your old friends?"

Dende sat in silence for minute before answering, "When we first arrived on the new Planet Namek, I was ecstatic. I was the last living Namek, I watched as Frieza and his men kill innocent people. It was living a true nightmare, but then everything was made right thanks to Goku and the dragon balls. I thought I would be so happy living on the new Planet Namek, but as time passed I realized that I no longer felt like the planet was my home. I felt there was more out there for me and I missed my real friends, the ones here on Earth. I was unhappy so when Goku came asking for a new god I said yes and never looked back"

Mr. Popo nodded his head in silence as he finished his dinner. Dende took another sip of water then stood and said "I'll be in the observatory if you need me otherwise good night."

Dende walked out as he heard Mr. Popo say good night back. He turned right once outside the door and headed down the long hallway before him. The hallway was drafty causing Dende to shiver and quicken his pace until he reached the room of interest and stepped in closing the door behind him. The observatory was a circular shaped room with no roof. In the middle of the room stoop a giant telescope. At the base there was a desk and chair. Dende still standing along the edge of the room looked up into the night sky. The storm had stopped. _Luckily these summer showers never last long_, Dende thought as he smiled to himself. With no moon the stars shined bright every night and by being this close to the sky, the night sky was breath taking. Few would ever see the sky as beautiful as it was this night. Dende loved watching the stars; he was always drawn to the vastness of space. He walked to the telescope and sat down in the chair. He opened one the desk drawers and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. Dende was currently working on making a map of the stars. He unrolled the parchment, stuck his quill in the ink and leaned his eye into the eye piece and began his work with his map.

After working for some time, Dende leaned back in his chair to stretch. He was thinking about calling it quits for the night. He picked up his map to look at his process and was very pleased. As he scooted his chair back he heard a loud crashing noise then an equally load thud echoed down the hall. Dende stood up and walked over to the door wandering what Mr. Popo did this time. He opened the door and stuck his head out and called,

"Mr. Popo are you all right? What happened?"

No response, Dende stepped further out into the hallway and called out again,

"Mr. Popo!"

Again nothing, Dende started to walk down the hall toward the source of the commotion. Before he took two steps a large of gust of wind came down the hallway blowing out all the torches that lined the wall. Dende couldn't see anything. The wind felt unnaturally cold sending a shiver down Dende's spine.

"Very funny Mr. Popo, you got me. Haha jokes on me" Dende called out in the darkness.

He reached out with his hands trying to find the wall. Once his hands touch the cold wall he walked along never taking his hands off the wall. He found a door and pushed it open and closed it behind him quickly. He knew he was in a guest room and that there should be a candle and matches on the bedside table. He stumbled around the room searching with his hands for the table. He found the table by hitting it with his knee. _Kami that hurt_, Dende reached down and after knocking the candle over and few seconds of searching was able to grab it and the matches. He lit the candle while still holding the matches in one hand. The room was flooded with light.

Immediately something caught his eye. He looked over at the bed and leaning against the pillows was the bloody head of Mr. Popo. Dende jumped back in shock and dropped his candle. It went out as it fell and hit the ground. Dende heard it roll away still frozen in fear. He then realized too late that he needed the light. Luckily he still had the matches in his hand. He dropped to floor moving his hands rapidly across the floor in his search efforts. His hand made contact with candle but all he did was sent it farther across the floor. He quickly scurried after the noise of the rolling candle. This time he was able to grab the candle. His hands were shaking violently as he tried to light a match.

He struck the match… no good. He grabbed another match…no good. _Come on Dende breath you can do this. _He to focus his breathing and grabbed for another match. He felt that there were two left, he steadied his hand as best he could and stroke the match. With a blinding flash the match lit and caught fire. He lit the candle and slowly turned his head to look behind him. The door was still closed so he stood up. He didn't know why but he found himself looking into the lifeless eyes of Mr. Popo. His nightmares resurfaced and images of Frieza began to appear in his mind. With each image Frieza became more gruesome than the last. Dende was frozen in fear as he stared at Mr. Popo's severed head. Tears began to roll down his cheek at first because of fear for his own life then for sadness for Mr. Popo. He knew then he had to leave. He turned around and walked towards the door. Building up the courage he reached out with his free hand to the door knob. His hand was shaking uncontrollably as he turned the doorknob. The door swung open easily to his touch. He let out a shout this time as he tripped over backwards on his robes. He looked up in horror at the headless corpse of Mr. Popo. The corpse fell to reveal a hooded figure holding his hand outstretched. He was tall well over 7 feet and even with his large brown cloak, Dende could tell that he was very muscular. His hood cast a shadow over his face hiding it from view. His cloak reached all the way down to his black boots. Dende tried to say something but nothing would come. He tried to scream, to get up, or to just move his arm but he was too scared to move.

Mr. Popo's killer took a step into the room shifting his gaze towards Dende.

"Ah there you are Namek. Now tell me where the dragon model is. You know the one you made the dragon with." He said with a raspy voice.

Dende didn't answer.

"Not gonna talk eh? That one over there did the same thing. He was too loyal for his own good" he pointed to the body of Mr. Popo.

"Now I think it would be in your best interest show me the dragon model is"

Dende got onto his hands and knees when the hooded assassin walked over and kicked him in the stomach causing Dende to fall back to the ground. The hooded figure reached down and picked him up before slamming him up against the wall.

"Where is it?" He asked threateningly.

He dropped Dende who stumbled to the door to balance himself.

Finding his voice, he squeaked, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"A big green dragon that can grants wishes, sound familiar? It looks something like this," he pulled out a broken top half of a model dragon from inside his cloak.

The incomplete model was a dragon with a rather large head and upper body. He had horns coming out his head as well as the tops of his shoulders. He had more of a reptile look than Shenron.

_Porunga, _Dende thought. _Then that must mean…_

Dende gasped in understanding, "You killed Porunga".

"I killed a lot more than just the dragon. I killed every single last pathetic Namek on that planet. Unfortunately for you someone said there was a Namek on the planet Earth, but not just any namek, a namek that could make dragon balls. I laid waste to that filthy planet and made my way here. I can't say that this planet is any better."

Dende felt his heart drop into his stomach. _Is it true? Is the new planet Namek gone? _

Dende thought about telling him where the model was, but then he thought about Mr. Popo and his sacrifice to keep the dragon balls safe. He thought about all his friends that fought for their lives against monsters like Frieza and Cell. He wouldn't live his final moments as a coward. Dende looked directly into the killer's hood and shook his head.

"I will never tell you"

"Brave now are we. Well we can change that." The assassin slammed his knee into Dende's stomach repeatedly until Dende spit up blood. Dende was blinded by pain, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Oh no you don't" the hooded man charged a small ki blast in his hand then placed it on Dende's chest sending enough energy to wake him back up.

Dende opened his eyes, "never". He received a fist in the face for his insolence.

"Tell me now, I can make this much worse for you" another fist hit his already broken nose.

Where Dende found his courage he did not know, "I have died once already, I'm not afraid of death or you".

"Save the heroics, I'm not going to kill you. You're too valuable for that. But I will break every bone in your body unless you tell me where the model is".

Faster than Dende could see, the assassin grabbed Dende's hand singling out a finger. Dende tried to pull his hand away, but the man's grip was too powerful. _Snap_, Dende screamed in pain. The hooded man grabbed another finger,

"I beg you, please don't" _Snap. _Dende screamed louder.

The hooded man let go of Dende's hand and grabbed the front of his robes lifting him off the ground.

"Where is it?"

Dende remained silent.

"Fine, we can do it the hard way, I like it better anyway".

The hooded assassin began to punch Dende until he fell unconscious again. Again the hooded man revived Dende. Dende blinked blood from out his eyes. The pain was too much, all he wanted was for it to stop.

"Stop please no more I'll show you where the dragon model is" Dende struggled to stay on his feet as stumbled out of the guest room and down the hall.

His vision was swimming. He didn't make more than five steps before he fell. The hooded man pulled him back on his feet and shoved him hard in the direction he was going. Half walking, half being shoved Dende made his way a staircase at the end of the hallway.

Dende raised a shaky hand and pointed down a flight a stairs as darkness began to creep over him, "That door on the left with the ornate handle is the one you want". He felt his strength leave him, there was nothing but darkness now.

Dende woke up in a tiny room. He found himself lying on a bed and sat up. He looked around the room trying to become familiar with his surroundings.

_Where am I? _


	2. Goku 1

Goku

_4998…4999…5000, _Goku wiped sweat from his forehead. He had just finished his first set of weighted sit ups and was taking a short break before starting his second. It was midday on the Grand Kai's planet, not that it mattered. The sky stayed the same shade of dark pink all day every day, always the same clouds that dotted the sky. The Grand Kai's mansion stood behind him gleaming in the endless daylight. The mansion was buzzing with life like it always is. Aliens walked in and out through many of its doors. Out on the grounds many aliens where training just like Goku. The Grand Kai liked to host all of the universes greatest worriers at his planet. He even held a tournament where Goku tied with Pikkon in the championship match. Pikkon had become a good friend and training partner to Goku. The two quickly established themselves as the strongest on the planet.

Goku enjoyed being dead, but waking up to the same boring sky did make him home sick. He missed being with his friends and family most of all. Being died wasn't all that bad though, Goku was able to push his body to new levels. He had ascended beyond a super saiyan not long after coming to the Grand Kai's planet. He didn't even need to be angry to achieve this new level. Dead men don't need emotions he reminded himself.

The Grand Kai's planet was a hub for information. Goku was aww struck about how big and diverse the universe was. People always had new stories to tell and wisdoms to share. Lately everybody has been talking about the war happening in the southern and western galaxies. The intergalactic war started three years ago in south galaxy. A powerful economic trading planet broke out into a civil war and because of the many secret alliance the planet had with others the war spread across the galaxy. The war front had reached the West Galaxy a few months ago and many were saying that the whole universe would be at war before it was over. Goku's biggest fear was that it would reach Earth. If that happened the Earth wouldn't stand a chance. He had already met some of the privileged fighters who died in the war that were allowed to train the Grand kai's planet and the stories they had to say where horrible, true nightmares. Both sides had weapons capable to destroy planets and both sides where using them. He positioned himself on the ground to start on his second set of weighted sit ups. Half way through his set, he felt two familiar ki signatures coming his way. He let a smiled spread across his face as he got to his feet.

"Hey King Kai hey Pikkon, what are you guys up to?" Goku said with a grin plastered on his face.

"Goku, the Grand Kai wants to speak with you. It's urgent that you go see him right away. Now if you'll follow me I'll show you the way." King Kai said with his arms folded on his chest hiding his hands from view.

"We had better go Goku, he wants to see me as well," Pikkon spoke from behind King Kai.

Goku hurried after King Kai and Pikkon. He had never spoken with the Grand kai before. He was supposed to be the strongest worrier in the universe. Goku couldn't hold his excitement, "Wow, we're gonna meet the Grand Kai. I wonder what for? I hope it's for training, he's supposed to be the best you know."

The three entered the mansion and walked down several hallways before stopping at an ornate door.

King Kai shot Goku a don't-do-anything-stupid look and knocked twice on the door. The door opened to reveal a tall alien with blue skin wearing long black robes.

"Master North Kai the Grand Kai is expecting you. This way please." The alien led them across the large room, "This is the Grand Kai's personal living quarters. Not many are allowed in here."

The room was everything but ordinary. The walls where covered with pictures of the previous grand kais. The largest one was of the current Grand Kai. Goku saw a large table in the corner of the room, big enough to seat 15 people comfortable. The table was cluttered with papers, books, and other objects Goku had never seen. He glanced over at an old school stereo sitting on one of the chairs next to the table. On the other side of the room he saw a fire place with several cushioned chairs grouped together. The servant led them to a door behind the large table and knocked before opening.

"Master Grand Kai, master North Kai is here to see you."

"Thank you Burke that will be all," the Grand Kai said.

The alien bowed low and made his exit closing the door behind him.

The Grand Kai was sitting in a decretive chair behind a desk. There was giant video screen on the wall behind him. The chair was so big it would make a grown man look like a child. The Grand Kai had bushy white hair that reached down to his back. He also boasted a healthy white beard and mustache. He wore a white shirt and blue jeans along with a matching unbuttoned denim vest. Goku was shocked at the Grand Kai's appearance he had not expected him to be wearing such informal clothes.

The Grand Kai stared at Goku and Pikkon, Goku could tell that the Grand Kai was taking in more just than their appearance.

King Kai broke the silence, "Grand Kai it's a pleasure to see you."

Pikkon dropped to his hands and knees, "Grand Kai it's an honor to be in your presence."

The Grand Kai smiled at Pikkon, "the honor is all mine, Pikkon son of Trikkon and Goku son of Bardock."

Goku grinned and rubbed the back of his head, "you don't look very strong to me."

"Goku show some respect, you're speaking to the Grand Kai," King Kai said.

"It's quite alright North Kai. Goku is right I'm not that strong. I've been slaking of these past few thousand years and lost my edge," the Grand Kai answered, "Now what do you know about the war in the Southern and Eastern galaxies?"

Goku looked at Pikkon who took the lead, "It's the worst war the universe as seen in thousands of years."

The Grand Kai nodded, "Yes Pikkon it's a very nasty war, but do you know who started it?"

Pikkon replied, "A former Irarian general started a civil war to take over the planet."

"Yes General Yulis, leader of the Galactic Federation Army and now the emperor of the ever expanding Iroarian Empire."

As soon as the Grand Kai said the general's name the video screen buzzed into life to show a picture of Yulis.

"General Yulis is a woman," Goku said in surprise. But what really surprised Goku the most was her breath taking beauty. Goku was immediately drawn to her mesmerizing hazel eyes and her sleek auburn hair, which was tied back in a knot.

"Don't let her appearance fool you. Her skills in martial arts are unrivaled and her cunning battle tactics have allowed her to crush anyone who stands in her way. Ruling one planet wasn't enough for her and within a year, half of the South Galaxy was under the Iroarian Empire. She rules with an iron fist and is responsible for billions of deaths."

"What does it matter to us we're dead?" Goku interrupted.

"All will be answered soon, but please don't interrupt again," the Grand Kai said, "for you will need to listen closely."

King Kai gave Goku a murderous glare.

"As I was saying, we have tracked her position to a planet called Laosos in the Merridian solar system." The picture of General Yulis was replaced by a picture of a planet with two moons.

"I need for the two of you to find and infiltrate the Galactic Federation Army base on that planet. Your primary objective is to locate and eliminate the General. Your second objective is to retrieve as much information and the whereabouts of her right hand man." The Grand Kai looked at Pikkon as he said the second objective.

The video screen changed once more and now showed a picture of a man, but this one was blurred and unfocused. Goku couldn't make out much but he could tell that the man wore a brown cloak and black boots. His face was hidden from view.

"We know little about this man. His enemies call him the Cloaked Demon and his allies stay clear of his path. His current location is unknown at this time. You will be leaving tomorrow morning. I will arrange an escort for you to leave the otherworld and arrive on Planet Dromida. From there you will take a space ship to Laosos. It will take two weeks to reach the planet. When you're on the planet you will be on your own. Laosos is next to a black hole, telekinetic communication is not an option. This mission will not be easy and I wish both of you the best of luck."

The Grand kai finished his briefing and showed the three the way out. Before opening the door to let them leave he spoke, "Only us four know of this plan, I'll like to keep it that way." With that said he smiled and said his farewells.

Once outside, Goku spoke, "I can't wait to fight General Yulis, how strong is she really?"

"Take this seriously here Goku and she make's Frieza's empire seem like child's play. She could kill Cell without breaking a sweat," King Kai responded.

King Kai's response only made Goku more excited, "Cell was no match for Gohan as a super saiyan 2."

"Just remember that time doesn't exist in the otherworld making it easier to hold onto the form. In the universe you will tire much faster so get the job done quickly."

Pikkon, who had remained quiet up until now said, "If this general is as strong as you say, then I must excuse myself and go train."

Pikkon turned on the spot and walked away before taking off, flying to some remote spot on the planet.

Goku shouted, "Hey wait for me" then turned to King Kai, "See you tomorrow." He flew off faster than King Kai could keep up with.

In the air Goku couldn't control his excitement. _Finally someone to test the limits of the super saiyan 2._ He scanned the planet for Pikkon's ki, but couldn't locate it. Goku had been teaching Pikkon how to suppress his ki and he had gotten quite good at it, but not good enough. He flashed into a super saiyan with no effort and searched the planet again. With his heightened super saiyan senses, he found the tiniest trace of Pikkon's ki. It was being masked by another very unique ki, _the West Kai. _Goku locked onto the Kai's position and raised two fingers to his head.

He appeared next to the West Kai and Pikkon who appeared to be in a discussion. Pikkon and the West Kai where standing in a clearing in a forest.

"Well if it isn't the North Kai's champion. Still up to the light shows I see." said the West Kai.

"Hello West Kai, sorry to interrupt," Goku said dropping into his base form. He rubbed the back of his head as a smile spread across his face.

"Spare me your words, I was just leaving." The West Kai said with a disgusted look. He folded his hands behind his back and walked to the edge of the forest with his head held high. He walked to the edge of the forest and vanished.

"Don't take it personally; he despises the North Kai and everyone from the north galaxy."

"Good, I was beginning to think it was just me and King Kai," Goku replied. "So what where you two talking about?"

"It doesn't matter, it will just bore you." Pikkon answered.

"Try me."

Pikkon dropped into a fighting stance, "Enough talk, let's spar."

At those words, whatever Goku was thinking was now forgotten. Goku charged with no warning only for his attack to be blocked by Pikkon. The spare went on for several hours and ended with Pikkon giving up after taking a severe beating from a super saiyan 2 Goku.

Their spares always drew a crowd. Goku and Pikkon fought on an entirely different level than any of the other worries on the planet. The clearing where they held their spar was now twice the size it was before and twice as deep.

Goku held out his hand for Pikkon to take, which he did and pulled himself up.

"I thought we agreed on no super saiyan 2." Pikkon said as he wiped blood from his lip.

Goku grinned and scratched the back of his head, "Well you almost had me, I couldn't let that happen."

Goku wasn't in much better shape than Pikkon. He had cuts and bruises all over his body. He could feel a couple of broken ribs underneath his torn shirt. Maybe he had over done a little bit. They flew back to the Grand Kai's mansion and made their way to the rejuvenation tanks located in the west wing of the building. Upon entering the room, Goku saw a small purple alien wearing a long white robe.

He was currently cleaning out one of the tanks when he turned around, "I should have guessed it was you two. I never seen two people beat each other this bloody in a spar as much as you two do."

"It's good to see you too Ven." Pikkon said.

"Yea yea, just get in." Ven replied.

Goku and Pikkon got into separate tanks while Ven made the appropriate calculations to the tanks settings. Goku hooked up his breathing mask, something he could do with his eyes closed from the all the time spent in here. He closed his eyes and meditated as the healing fluid filled around him.

Goku was standing in a field outside of a small village. It was dark out, but that made little difference. The village was on fire. The bright flames made it easy for Goku see. Burning debris was raining down onto the field all around him. That's when he heard it, a baby's cry. He ran towards the village, towards the sounds of the crying baby. Not much further now, he thought as the crying grew louder. He stopped outside of a small house on the outskirts of the village, he was sure the baby was inside here. Goku reached out to open the door, but instead found himself blown back. There was an explosion inside the house. Goku hit his head hard on the ground; he blinked a few times to clear his vision. There floating a few feet above the rubble was a man holding a screaming new born baby wrapped in a singed blanket. The man's face was hidden in shadow, but Goku could see that he wore saiyan armor.

Then he heard man yell, "You will never take my daughter, you bastards." He held up an open palm facing the rest of the burning village and unleashed a massive ki attack destroying the village, wiping it from existence.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," Goku tried to yell, but no words could escape his mouth.

The village started to fade into blackness around him. He felt himself start to fall. The mysterious man grew smaller and smaller. The baby's cries faded into silence. Down and down Goku fell until there was nothing but darkness all around him. He tried to go super, but he couldn't. He tried to fly, but he couldn't. All he could do was fall.

Goku was trying to think of something, anything to stop his falling, when a foreign voice spoke in his head.

"Don't fight it, there's nothing wrong with falling. What goes up must come down."

"I don't want to fall, I want to go back. Back to that man and the baby," Goku said, his voice now working again.

"No you don't. That is here nor there. Don't look up, look down. Always look down."

Down below Goku could see a golden light. "Yes that's it look for the light."

The golden light rose up to meet Goku, swallowing him in a sea of gold. His strength returned to him, he felt stronger than ever.

He heard the voice again, "You must go now we will talk again soon."

The golden light disappeared along with Goku's new found strength. He was left in the darkness once again.


	3. Gohan 1

Gohan

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

Gohan yawned as he reached out from under his covers to hit the snooze on his alarm clock. It was a cool summer morning in the 439 Mountain Area. Gohan had left his window open overnight and a warm breeze was coming through. Birds were chirping happily and he could hear his mother cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Gohan shifted onto his side and tried to get a few more seconds of precious sleep.

"Gohan time to get up, breakfast is almost ready and I need you to help out with Goten," Chichi called out.

Gohan rolled onto his back and let out another yawn before getting up. He decided to wear a white gi, its light fabric made it very comfortable in hot weather. Gohan was not fooled by the cool morning, by the afternoon it would be another hot summer day. He walked into the kitchen and his stomach rumbled loudly as the aroma from the delicious foods tickled his nostrils. Chichi was busy slaving over the stove, stirring pots and flipping pans. There was already a sizable amount of food on the counter waiting to be placed at the kitchen table. He saw stacks of pancakes piled high topped with wild berries from the bushes outside, bowls full of scrambled eggs with cheese, plates full of honeyed ham, smoked sausages, and fried bacon; a giant pot of stone ground grits and a tray of nut bread toast. He smelled apple scones baking in the oven. Gohan's mouth began to water at the sight. He made his way over to his mother, who said,

"Good your up, could you make sure your brother is up and dressed properly".

"Sure mom".

Gohan turned around to leave but not before trying to snag a strip of bacon off the counter. Just when he thought he was going to get away with it, Chichi pulled out a frying pan from nowhere and smacked the back of his head.

"Oww Mom, what was that for. I was just grabbing some bacon," Gohan said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"We eat as a family Gohan. You should know that by now, you delinquent. Now get your brother," Chichi said with authority.

Gohan turned and hurried out of the kitchen, there was nothing scarier than his mother with a frying pan. As Gohan walked to Goten's room he wondered what he would try to wear today. Goten was 5 years old and demanded that he dress himself. The only problem was that Goten would either try to wear his favorite outfit, green underwear and a red blanket used as a cape, or he would wear nothing at all until either Gohan or Chichi forced him into something. Gohan approached his brother's bedroom door, knocked and entered.

"Alright super hero, time to cha…" Gohan stopped mid-sentence when he saw what Goten was wearing. Goten had his back to the door but turned around when he heard his brother. Goten wore an orange gi with a blue undershirt and matching blue sash that he was currently trying to tie around his waist. Gohan couldn't help but think about his father Goku, after all a mirror image of him now stood in front of him. Gohan knelt down, "Come here Goten, Ill tie it for you"

Goten happily obliged and said, "Daddy was a real super hero, I wanna dress like him."

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Goku's death and Bulma had come over the night. Even five years later Chichi still had a rough time during this time of year, maybe even more than Gohan. Once Bulma had arrived, Chichi opened a bottle of red wine poured two glasses. Before they knew it the wine bottle was empty and they were telling each other their favorite memories with Goku in days past. Gohan joined in sharing stories and laughing with the rest of them. But he did not cry when the stories got sad. He could no longer cry, not even a single tear, for he had seen too much terror and experienced too much pain for one lifetime.

The previous night was the calmest Goten ever was. He listened to every story taking in as many details as he could. Goten had heard some of these stories before about his father so he knew he was a great martial artist and savior and a loving friend and father, but many of the stories told tonight were new to him and being five he was old enough to understand most of them too. He had asked so many questions interrupting the stories so many times that Chichi finally said he had to be quite or go to bed. Goten chose the former, but the night was getting late and the little fellow wouldn't last much longer anyway. Sure enough Goten had fallen asleep right where he was sitting. Gohan put him to bed before going to bed himself.

Gohan finished tying the blue sash and ruffled Goten's unruly hair, "Mom will love it. Now what do you say we go get some breakfast."

Goten's belly rumbled at the words breakfast, "Me first," he shouted and ran past Gohan out of the room.

Gohan stayed in his crouched position listening to what was happening in the kitchen. _ Any second now…_ Bang! He flinched as he heard his mother's high pitched scream, "Goten, what did I tell you about eating before everyone is seated! What's the matter with my boys"!

He walked into the kitchen to find Chichi seated and Goten rubbing the back of his head. Gohan sat down and with Chichi's permission the two saiyans began to inhale the breakfast. Chichi grabbed an impressive amount of food before it was all gone; years of living with saiyans had sharpened her reflexes. The three ate their hearts content and washed their breakfast down with fresh orange juice. After breakfast, Gohan helped his mother with the dishes and then took Goten outside to take advantage of the cool morning air.

Gohan walked absent mindedly along one of the many forest trails when Goten pulled on his hand wanting his attention. Gohan looked down and smiled, "What's up Goten?"

Goten looked down at the ground as if he was unsure, "I want to learn how to fight and beat up bad guys just like daddy, but I just know Mommy will say no. It isn't fair." He looked up at Gohan with water eyes.

Gohan smiled and said, "Hey don't get upset, and you don't know that for sure. You're lucky Goten, being the younger son means you can do more things that I couldn't".

"Really? Like what," Goten asked, any thought of crying was no gone.

"Well let's see… for starters you get to stay up later than I did at your age. Mom also lets you get away with being a little messy and not to mention she would make me study a lot more than you do. I think there might be a good chance she will say yes."

"Wow," Goten said with wide eyes, "You really think Mom will let me train? And you're gonna teach me, this is going to be so much fun!"

Goten jumped into the air then ran around in circles showing his excitement. He ran over to a tree and punched it. Goten turned around rubbing his bruised fist, tearing pouring down his cheeks.

"Waa…it…it…hu…hurts…waa…I…wa…want…my…mommy!" Goten cried at the top of his lungs.

"Shh, its ok Goten lets go get some ice to put on it and it will be better in no time."

Gohan picked Goten up and carried him back to the house. Goten's crying quieted down as he wrapped his arms around Gohan. Back at the house, Gohan had gotten ice for Goten and set out to find his mother. She was on the back side of the house hanging laundry up to dry and didn't see her sons return. Gohan found her and crossed the lawn reaching her side before saying, "Goten hurt his hand, I got him some ice he will be fine."

"What did he do this time, fall out of a tree?"

"More like punch a tree, it was sort of my fault," Chichi eyed him, "I got his hopes that he could start training and he got super excited and punched a tree."

"Absolutely not, he's just a little boy. He will get hurt." Chichi said.

"Mom he already hurt himself. If he were training that tree would have fallen down and he would not be inside with ice on his hand."

"The answer is still no, Gohan." Chichi said forcefully.

Gohan didn't back down, it was time for the trump card. "He's too hyper for his own good, it interferes with his studying. You make him stay in his room for most of the day studying and you know that it's not good for him. Allow me to train him for a couple hours each day. It will be completely safe I promise."

Chichi stood quite, thinking to herself. _Please work_. In those few quite seconds a loud snapping noise followed by an even louder bang that echoed across the valley. It sounded to Gohan just like a tree falling. A smile spread across his face,

"At five he is already more like Dad than me. You won't be able to keep him from fighting, might as well let him train and learn from me."

Chichi stared at Gohan quizzically, "I'll give you two weeks. If his studies improve then I will allow it to continue up to the moment when that statement becomes false. Understood? Gohan are you even listening to me?" She dropped a wet sheet that she was currently hanging up and grasped Gohan's shoulder giving him a shake,

"Hey Gohan I'm speaking to you, it's rude not to listen!"

"Sorry Mom Piccolo needs me. He wouldn't call if it wasn't important." Gohan said as he slowly rose of the ground.

"We're not finished with conversation young man." Chichi called out as Gohan flew away.

Once flying at a quick yet comfortable pace, Gohan opened the telekinetic connection he shared with Piccolo and said,

"_On the way, I'll be there soon"._

Gohan heard a deep voice in his mind answer, "_Good. Vegeta is coming as well."_

Gohan closed the mental connection._ Why Vegeta, _Gohan groaned to himself. He quickened his pace, not wanting to give Vegeta something else to make fun of him for. Lucky for Gohan, he found that he was still very fast and after a short time of flying the Lookout came into view. Coming in from the west was Vegeta. It looked like he would get there before Gohan, so Gohan flew at top speeds to get there first. He smirked as he thought about what taunts to say to Vegeta. _Out flown and out classed._ Gohan touched down and heard the one voice spoke behind him,

"About time you got here. My son would have made better time than that," Vegeta laughed as he as walked towards the palace entrance were Piccolo stood.

Gohan raged silently in his head. The one man he hated was Vegeta. Vegeta was out to prove his dominancy as the strongest of the group. Unfortunately for Gohan he was second strongest so that meant constant insults and demeaning commits at his expense.

Gohan walked behind Vegeta not saying anything. _Huh that's weird; I don't sense Dende or Mr. Popo. _Piccolo turned to face them as they got close. There was a burlap sack next to his feet. He cleared his throat and said, "We have a major problem. Mr. Popo has been murdered and Dende is missing. I came back early this morning after being gone for several weeks and found Mr. Popo's body but no sign of Dende." Piccolo was never one to waste time getting to the punch.

Gohan couldn't believe what he had heard. _Why Mr. Popo? Why Dende? It didn't make any sense, why would anyone want to hurt those two? _

"The disturbing part about all of this is this," Piccolo held out two broken dragon models, one in each hand. The two models were not the same and then it dawned on Gohan.

"Purunga and Shenron; there broken, does that mean?"

"Yes Gohan the dragon balls have turned to stone," Piccolo said. He grabbed the sack at his feet and dumped out seven cracked stone balls.

Vegeta who had remained quiet with arms crossed smirked and walked away.

"Where are you going Vegeta?" Piccolo asked.

"There's nothing else to do. The trail has gone cold. Even if Dende is still alive, you'll never be able to find him without the dragon balls. It's a shame really, to lose the dragon balls." Vegeta replied bored tone. He blasted off into the sky quickly.

"Now what?" Gohan asked.

"I don't know. I think Vegeta might be right. Whoever kidnapped Dende is probably not on the planet anymore. Without the dragon balls, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. A very large haystack."

Gohan grabbed the broken Purunga model, "maybe…maybe it's not real. I mean whoever took Dende could be trying to intimidate us; it's no secret that a saiyan from Earth killed Frieza. We could talk to Bulma about getting a spaceship and going to the new Planet Namek."

Excitement shined in Gohan's eyes, only to be replaced by disappointment. "We never did find out where the new planet was did we?"

"No, Dende did. Several years ago he did. He spent hours starting at the night sky through the telescope looking for our planet. Come with me. I'll show you his cosmic maps."

With that said Piccolo led Gohan deep into the palace on the Lookout, deeper than Gohan had ever been. Finally Piccolo stopped and opened a door. "This is the observatory, where Dende made is his maps."

Gohan followed Piccolo inside. Piccolo walked over to the giant telescope, more importantly the desk at the base of the telescope. He opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out several rolled up pieces of parchment. After several minutes of sifting through each map, Piccolo found what he was looking for.

Laying it out flat on the table, Piccolo pointed, "Look here, the new planet Namek. Hopefully Bulma will be able to make sense of these maps."

"Alright we have a plan, let's go over to Bulma's right now." Gohan said rejuvenated.

"Here take these maps and go on ahead. I'll be there later." Piccolo handed the maps to Gohan and rose out of the open dome, "I see you in a couple hours."

Gohan followed suit only turning west towards West City instead of south, the direction Piccolo was flying. By the time Gohan arrived at Capsule Corp. the sun was high in the sky, beating down like a sauna on Gohan's skin. Making his way quickly inside, he paused to enjoy the cool air-conditioned air that he did not have at home. He was standing in the entrance to the Brief's living wing. Sensing for Bulma's ki, Gohan made his way through the dome shaped mansion. He passed through several living rooms then through a door marked "Laboratories 1-5 R&amp;D and Prototype Testing of Non-Lethal Weapons and Devices." He followed a lit corridor, noting the odd numbered doors on his left and the even numbered doors on his right. Reaching the end of the corridor, in front of him was a door labeled "Lab. 5 Prototype testing- Artificial Intelligence." Gohan opened the door, inside he saw rows of shelves stacked full of what appeared old models of the robots Bulma had keeping order around her house. Amongst the robots he saw computers and spare parts, lots of parts. Making his way to the back he found Bulma working on a decommissioned robot.

"The last time I checked artificial intelligence is anything but non-lethal." Gohan said teasingly.

Bulma looked up and brushed a stray bang of her turquoise hair out of eyes, "Hey Gohan, don't tell me you believe in that science fiction nonsense. Come here I need your help real quick"

Bulma beckoned Gohan to follow, but instead he said, "Not now, we have an emergency. Let's go talk somewhere more comfortable."

Bulma led Gohan to the family living room. There was a big flat screen television on one of the walls surrounded by three couches. The opposite corner was littered with Trunk's toys. Gohan explained the situation to Bulma as well as showing her the maps Dende made.

"So do you have a spaceship that Piccolo and I can take to get to New Planet Namek?" Gohan asked.

"No I don't have a space ship, but I can build one. That will be the easy part; these maps are a whole different story, look it's even written in Namekian. It will take some time to decipher all this and a build the spaceship. I would say about four months."

"Four months. Four months! Bulma we don't have four months, Dende doesn't have four months!" Gohan yelled, letting his emotions get the best of him.

Vegeta had walked into the room while Gohan was still telling Bulma what happened and choose now to speak, "Watch it brat, that's my woman you're speaking to."

Bulma rolled her eyes, "Hush Vegeta, we're all emotional right now."

"Speak for yourself woman, if you weren't so emotional you would know that we do have time and if Dende is any bit resourceful then we could have a lot of time. What I mean is whoever took Dende most likely took him because of the dragon balls. I'm assuming it takes time to make new dragon balls and if Dende is smart he will stall for as long as possible."

"We can only hope so. In the mean time we need to train and I mean you Gohan. You've slacked off for too long." A new familiar voice came from the back of the room. Gohan turned around to see Piccolo standing by the back entrance to the room with his arms crossed. "I'm afraid I can't go to space. Earth needs its guardian and I'm the only one with experience. We can only assume the worst is going to happen when that wish is made. It's too dangerous for one person alone. Vegeta take my place and go with Gohan."

Vegeta remained quiet. Piccolo continued, "Don't tell me you're going to just sit here and let some damn mad man make a wish that could destroy the planet, hell even the entire universe."

Vegeta held up an open palm quieting Piccolo, "Save it Namek. I've grown fond of this planet, enough to call it home. I do not wish to see it destroyed. I will go. Yes the thought of journeying to unknown space rather excites me. The galaxy will fear the saiyan name once again."

"It's settled then, I will see you again in four months' time." Piccolo turned swiftly sending his white cape fluttering about his waist as he disappeared down the hallway.

Vegeta turned back to Gohan, "I want you here 6 days out of the week to spar with me. When we're out there it's just you and me and I won't rest my life in the hands of a pathetic low class excuse of saiyan like you." Vegeta stomped off mumbling to himself, "Why the hell did I say yes."

Gohan called out, "Last time I checked this low class saiyan surpassed the great prince at the age of 11."

Bulma and Gohan could hear Vegeta yell from another room, "Fucking brat, no respect…" Vegeta's yelling was drowned out by a new higher pitch screaming from Bulma, "Vegeta! What did I say about language in the house? Trunks can here you, you know!" Bulma walked off after Vegeta, "Don't you walk away from me…"

Gohan was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the family living room. He hastily made his leave, but not before finding Trunks and saying hello. Stepping outside into the furnace of the midafternoon summer heat, he checked his watch. _3:38 I had better get home before Mom starts to worry. _Gohan smacked himself in the forehead. _ I forgot about Mom. Great how do I convince her to let me go to space?_


	4. Gohan 2

Gohan

"No. No. No Gohan! I will not allow it. Last time you went into space I almost lost you. I will not lose you. Not after Goku." Chichi slammed her foot down and crossed her arms.

Gohan decided not to pursue the subject but to change it, "That's not for another 4 months. At least let me still train Goten."

Gohan was currently helping Chichi wash the breakfast dishes. Gohan scrubbed away at a plate with dried bacon grease as Chichi replied, "I've decided to allow it, only after he completes his school work for the day. The same goes for you Gohan, do you understand me?"

_The only friend I have my age goes missing and all she thinks about is school. _"Yes I understand." Gohan said as he finished washing the pile of dishes that were stacked high in the sink. He left his mother in the kitchen and headed to his room to change into something more suitable for his spar with Vegeta later. He decided on a blue gi with a white sash and matching wrist and ankle bands. As he walked out of his room, Goten can bolting down the hallway tackling Gohan to the ground.

"Settle down rascal before Mom starts yelling." Gohan said. He pushed Goten off of him and got to his feet. Goten rose to his feet as well.

"You said you would train me, let's go now!" Goten said excitedly

"I know, but you have to finish you're schoolwork first and besides I'm going to go train with Vegeta. I'll be busy training with him during the week, but over the weekend I can train you. How does that sound sport?"

Goten frowned, "But I want to start right now. It's not fair. You have school work too."

"Yea you're right, but I'm older so deal with it." Gohan led Goten back to his room and after seeing him start to work again, Gohan closed the door. He walked back into the kitchen looking for Chichi, not finding her there he walked outside and found her by the garden picking weeds.

"Hey Mom, one more thing…I promised Vegeta I would train with him every day until we left for space."

Before Chichi could react, Gohan was already high in the sky. "I'll be home for dinner," he called out. His home was soon out of sight as he raced across the sky. _I'm going to be in trouble this time_. But it did not matter; Dende was the only thing that mattered. The Capsule Corp. building came into view after a brief flight. Feeling more alert and awake from his flight, Gohan walked into the dome shaped building finding that Vegeta was already the in the gravity chamber. Gohan made his way quickly to Vegeta not wanting to upset the prince more than he had too.

Gohan reached the gravity chamber door. The door was circular, eight feet in diameter and two feet in thickness. He remembered Bulma saying it was the hardest part of building the chamber. The door needed to be strong enough to withstand the immense gravities, yet light enough to swing on hinges. A LCD video screen mounted on the wall next to the door showed a view of the inside of the chamber. Gohan saw Vegeta meditating in the center of the room floating above the ground. At the bottom of the screen showed Vegeta's vitals and level of gravity. The gravity was currently set on 300. Gohan tapped on the video screen pulling up a menu. He quickly tapped two icons. One was to restore the gravity and the other was to open the door. Looking in the screen, he saw Vegeta drop down to his feet and cross his arms. He stared at the camera that connected to the screen and then at the door.

Gohan entered and the door closed behind him. He could hear the mechanical locks securing it into place. Inside the room, the walls were white and sloped inward to the top creating a dome. There was a control panel on the far side of the circular room. "You're late, tomorrow I expect you here when the sun comes up." Vegeta growled.

"Vegeta are you kidding me, that's 6:00 am. I think…" Gohan checked his watch, "10:00 am works just nicely."

Gohan saw the vain in Vegeta's forehead pulse. "You can either come voluntarily or with my foot up your ass! Your choice, either way you'll be here at sunrise whether its 6:00 am or 4:00 am."

Gohan nodded his head in agreement. Faster than Gohan's eyes could keep up with, Vegeta appeared in front of him and backhanded across the cheek. "Did your father not teach you respect? Answer me I am speaking to you." Vegeta spat.

"Yes _your Prince_. I will be here at sunrise every day." Gohan said sarcastically.

"Why you insulate brat, I'll show you respect." Vegeta fazed out of site, but Gohan was ready for him this time. Just because he didn't fight, didn't mean that fighting no longer came naturally to him. He could easily sense out Vegeta's next move. Side stepping to left he dodged Vegeta's fist. Gohan spun quickly on his feet and punched Vegeta's back, sending him crashing into the sloped wall. Gohan smirked.

Vegeta got up showing no signs of any damage. "I think that does it for the warmup." He walked over to the control panel and punched a couple of buttons. The room darkened slightly and Gohan could hear the hum of the gravity machine. Within seconds the gravity intensified, Gohan's knees slightly bent under the pressure. The gravity kept on climbing, pushing Gohan further to the ground. His knees almost gave way to immense gravity, "How high did you set it?" Gohan asked.

"It's only 400gs. I know you're weak, but I didn't expect this. Stand up before I change my mind and kick you out" said Vegeta. Gohan struggled to stand up, trying to catch his breath. When he finally found his footing and stood with his back straight, Vegeta knocked him down. "Get up" he said. Gohan looked up at his face. It was a face of disgust. The last thing Gohan wanted was to look weak. He got back onto his feet, quicker than before. "Good now fight me," Vegata threw a punch at Gohan. He tried to block with his forearm but was too slow in bring up his arm. Vegeta's punch landed on Gohan's right cheek. Once again Gohan was on the ground. Getting up for a third time, he didn't take any more chances. He raised his power as high as he could. His hair stood straighter and a white aura appeared around him. Pushing further he crouched down, drawing forth power he hadn't felt in years. His hair turned gold and his eyes teal. The white aura was replaced by a golden one. Finding the high gravity less of a burden, it was now Gohan's turn to take the offence. Vegeta smirked, "I'll only use one arm and still beat you." He put his left arm behind his back. Gohan charged in with a barrage of punches. Vegeta easily evaded the punches and found an opening and landed an uppercut into Gohan's abdomen. Whether or not the punch hurt Gohan, he didn't show any sign. He raised his power higher and intensified his assault. Vegeta soon found himself hard pressed and losing ground. Gohan had pushed him back all the way to the wall of the chamber. Vegeta brought his left hand out and caught one of Gohan's fists in his own. Gohan tried to summersault backwards and kick Vegeta, but Vegeta quickly grabbed his foot and spun him around into the wall. Where Gohan hit the wall a large crack appeared on the surface.

"Whatever happened to using only one arm?" Gohan asked catching his breath.

"I lied. You should know by now not to trust your opponent." Vegeta lectured.

Gohan returned to his normal state, finding that he was already quickly tiring. "Are you coaching a low class saiyan, the son of your greatest rival in the ways of martial arts? If I didn't know any better I would say you are growing soft."

Gohan received a smack on his ear. "I told you to watch your tongue. Between you and Trunks my hand will be bruised and battered by the time you two finally learn respect." This comment took Gohan by surprise. _Since when did Vegeta take any interest in someone other than himself? Why did he offer to train me? _Gohan put these thoughts to rest as Vegeta decided it was time to start fighting again.

The rest of the morning continued in a similar manner. Whenever Gohan thought that he landed a good hit on Vegeta, he would find himself on the ground after one hit. Again and again Gohan picked himself off the ground. His saiyan blood overpowered his human half and he soon found that the gravity no longer hindered him like before. The two spared until lunch. Gohan was drenched in sweet, but Vegeta was not even breathing hard.

After lunch the two headed back into the Gravity Chamber. This time Vegeta increased the gravity to 500gs. "Do what you like, but don't bother me." Vegeta walked over to the opposite side of the chamber to train on his own. Gohan powered up into a super saiyan pushing his power to the max. His hair grew straighter and taller. A loose bang fell across his forehead. Vegeta stop his training and watched Gohan. Digging down deep, Gohan brought out every ounce of power he could muster. Blue lightning bolts streaked across his golden aura. His muscles bulged slightly. But as soon as the transformation came, it disappeared. Gohan fell onto his hands and knees. His hair returned to its normal black and his teal eyes to onyx again. Seeing Gohan ascend beyond a super saiyan sparked a rage inside Vegeta. He walked over to the control panel and shut off the gravity. "Out! Out!" he screamed, but Gohan just laid there on the floor. He dragged Gohan by the back of his gi and threw him out.

Gohan did not mind, he could barely stand on his feet. It was the second time Gohan transformed into a super saiyan two. The first time being is his fight against Cell. As he laid there on the floor, Trunks came walking around the corner. He walked up to Gohan and gave him a weird look. "Why are you lying on the floor?" he asked.

"Vegeta kicked me out," Gohan said as he stood up. He put a hand on Trunk's shoulder to steady himself.

"I could've told you that were gonna happen." Trunks responded. "He doesn't let anyone train with him, not even me." He pointed to his chest with his thumb.

Gohan looked at the LCD screen on the wall. Vegeta was back to fighting an invisible opponent. "I would like nothing more than to never go back in there with your dad, but he asked me to train with him. Well I didn't really have choice. You'll be seeing me a lot. He wants me here every day."

Trunk's eyes lit up and smile appeared on his face. "That's great! Can Goten come every day too?" He asked.

Gohan ruffled Trunk's hair, "Sorry sport. There's no way Mom will let him." Trunks' smile faded and he hung his head. He shot back up quickly though and his smile returned. "Hey I want to show you something." With that said, Trunks grabbed Gohan's arm and pulled him along in his wake. Racing down the hallway and then down two more, he dragged Gohan, before he stopped outside his room. He looked both ways to make sure no one was in the hallway and then quickly opened the door and pulled Gohan in. He closed the door and walked over to his bed.

Gohan still couldn't get used to the size of Trunk's room. It was as big as his living room. The walls were painted a light blue and the floor was carpeted. Pictures of sailboats, lighthouses, and other coastal themes hung on the walls. Trunks massive king size bed stood in the middle of the room with the headboard against the wall. There were nightstands on both sides of the bed. There was a big window looking out over the indoor garden on the wall to the left of the bed.

Trunks found what he was looking for and pulled out a shoebox from underneath the bed. "Before I open it, you can't tell anyone okay."

Gohan chuckled a bit, "Whatever you say."

"I'm serious. I can get into a lot of trouble for this," Trunks said, a little annoyed.

"Okay, I promise not to tell anyone. Open it, I'm curious now."

Trunks opened the shoebox and pulled out its contents. "I've spent many days perfecting this. I call it the Shut up Bean. If you eat one your jaw closes shut and you can't talk for the rest of the day. The best part is it looks just like a sensu bean. I'm waiting for the chance to get Dad. He'll get so mad but won't be able to yell."

Gohan reached out and grabbed the bean from Trunks. It did look remarkably like a sensu bean. He gave Trunks a questionable look, "Let me guess, you had one of the interns from the labs to help you." Trunks nodded his head and Gohan shook his head. "Just do me one favor and make sure I'm far from here when you give it to him."

Trunks put the bean pack into the shoebox and then the shoebox back under the bed. They left Trunks' bedroom and made their way to main entrance. Once outside, Gohan waved goodbye and took to the skies. The sun was beginning to set, but the heat was just as stifling. He took his time flying back home, for he knew he was going to be in trouble. By the time his house came into view the sun had sunk low on the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange and purple. He landed and walked slowly to the door prepping himself for the soon to be onslaught.

Before he reached the door, Goten burst out with a panicked look, "I think she's really gonna kill you this time," he cried.

As if on cue, Chichi screamed at the top of her lungs, "Gohan! You get in here right now. What were you thinking flying away from me? And now you're behind on your schoolwork as well."

Anger boiled over inside Gohan, how could he focus on something like school when his best friend is missing or worse? He stomped passed Goten and into the Kitchen where his mother stood with a frying pan. "Schoolwork Mom? Schoolwork! Dende is missing and for all we know he could be dead. What do you expect me to do? Sit here and act like nothing is wrong and do schoolwork? No Mom I won't!"

Chichi was a little taken back by the anger and frustration in his voice. Her eyes started to tear up and her voice started to quiver, "I don't know what I'll do if I lose you. I have nightmares that you will go off somewhere and never come back. Think about our family Gohan? Goten will be shattered and I will be…" she never finished the sentence for she burst into tears. Gohan walked over and hugged her, "Mom don't cry, nothing will happen to me. I may not be a fighter but Vegeta and I are still two of the strongest people in the universe. Besides you say what about family? Well like it or not Dende is family. And we will save him no matter what."

Chichi didn't have the strength to argue anymore and she could tell Gohan wouldn't change his mind. In that moment she realized that he was no longer her little boy, but a young man matured beyond his years by the endless torment and threat of death around every corner. "You're more like your father than you think Gohan," Chichi said when she stopped crying. "I see now that you must go. As you say we have to help those in our family no matter what." She smiled at Gohan, wiped her eyes and then turned around started to prep for dinner.

Four months past much faster than Gohan thought it would. He trained with Vegeta during the week and on the weekends worked on his schoolwork as well as trained Goten. Goten was a natural of course. He picked up every technique Gohan taught him with relative ease. His strength increased tremendously. If Gohan had to guess he would say Goten was as strong as he was after a year's worth of training with Piccolo. Gohan smirked, _looks like I'm the better teacher._ As for Gohan, his level of improvement was incredible. After four months of intense training he quickly surpassed Vegeta and was stronger than ever. He spent the last month perfecting the super saiyan two state. Just like when he and Goku spent so much time as a super saiyan to master it, he did the same as well this time around. One whole month he spent as a super saiyan two. It was difficult at first, but with time it drained less and less on his body until he no longer felt it consuming his energy. Though Gohan showed the most improvement, Vegeta improved as well. But much to his annoyance, he still could not obtain that coveted transformation. Vegeta confined in him that he could feel the barrier, like an unbreakable wall standing in his way.

The day came at last. The day Gohan thought couldn't come any sooner, but now that it was here he felt nothing but emptiness and foreboding. It was a chilly November day and snow had started to fall during the night. As bad as the heat could be in the summer, he hated the cold much more. He had packed all of this clothes and things the night before, so all he had to do this morning was to eat breakfast and leave. They flew to Capsule Corp. together, with Chichi on the nimbus and a newly flying Goten.

They flew slowly trying to draw out the flight as long as possible, enjoying the last few moments as a family together. Gohan had warned Chichi that he might be gone for a long time, maybe even several years or as long as it took, for he was not coming home without Dende.

Capsule Corp. came into view at last over the horizon. The sun was rising high in the sky to the east and a cold breeze came from the north. The son family landed in a courtyard on the west side of the dome. There Bulma, her parents, Vegeta, and Trunks stood waiting. Towering over them was a massive spaceship, much bigger than the one Goku took to Namik. It looked just like the ship that Goku traveled in, but twice the size. A platform ran down from the lower half of the ship where the door was and windows lined the upper half.

"It's incredible Bulma, once again you have out done yourself." Gohan said in awe.

Bluma winked at him, "Well what did you expect, come on I'll give you the grand tour." Gohan, Chichi, and Goten followed her up the platform and inside the ship. "Here is the first floor, as you can tell it's the gravity chamber. You and Vegeta will be able to train while looking for Dende. And it is just as strong as the one you and Vegeta have been using. The gravity machine goes up to 1000gs, but even I don't know what will happen in space when that amount of pressure is in use." Gohan was amazed, it was better than anything he could have hoped for. Bluma walked to the center of the chamber where a pillar stood. On one side of the pillar there was a built in ladder going up through a hatch in the ceiling. Once everyone was up the ladder, Bulma continued her tour, "If you look here the hatch will close when the gravity is turned on. This is the deck or the main floor. Here is where the bridge, living quarters, and kitchen are located." They were currently in the bridge, and as Bluma listed off the different rooms on the deck she pointed to the corresponding doors in the back of the room. The bridge was relatively simple. It had two pilot seats and huge bay windows that allowed a 180 degree view of outside. Bulma walked over and opened the door on the left, it was the sleeping quarters. The room was small, big enough for only the bunk bed, Gohan noted how uncomfortable they looked. Bulma opened the other door, this one the kitchen. The kitchen was much bigger compared to the bedroom and came complete with everything they could ever need including 5 years' worth of food, according to human consumption, maybe a year's worth for two saiyans. There was also a big dining table in the middle of the room. With the tour finished, the four of them exited the ship and prepared their goodbyes. Chichi was crying saying "my poor baby" and other incoherent words over and over again. Goten was sad but when Gohan reassured him he would be back before too long, Goten perked up. Vegeta was indifferent as always. With all the goodbyes said and hugs given, Vegeta and Gohan prepared for takeoff. Once everyone else was safely inside the building, Vegeta initiated the launch sequence and the countdown began. Ten…nine…eight…'_Hey Gohan, it's me. Just wanted to say good luck and make sure the bastard that took Dende wishes he never set foot on this planet,' _Piccolo's voice flooded into Gohan's mind. Gohan smiled, _'It would be me pleasure.' _Three...two…one, the ship shook violently as the four large thrusters sent it skyward at breakneck speeds. Within 30 seconds the ship was clear of Earth's atmosphere and was in outer space.

Vegeta set the coordinates for New Namik and spoke, "the new planet Namik is farther from Earth than the old one, even with this ship it will still take about ten days to reach it." He unbuckled his seatbelt and walked over the hatch and quickly disappeared down the hole. Old habits die hard, Gohan thought.


	5. Goku 2

Goku

The beeping of the timer from the healing tank brought Goku out of his dream. A few moments of trying to remember the dream, Goku opened his eyes to see the infirmary. King Kai was standing outside the rejuvenation tank waiting impatiently. "Hurry you two. We have schedule to keep. Get dressed quickly and meet me outside" King Kai said as he turned to leave. Vinn brought Goku and Pikkon towels and fresh clothes. After getting dressed the two fighters meet King Kai outside. Goku looked up and smiled at the clouds in the sky. As much as Goku loved to train, he was getting restless on the Grand Kai's planet. "Goku, Pikkon over here!" King Kai called out. He appeared to be in mid conversation with a short frog like alien.

As Goku and Pikkon got closer, King Kai made the introductions. "This is your man for getting between here and the universe. His name is Stig. He will be your guide." Stig held his hand out, "Stig the gateman at your service."Goku happly shook his hand, but Pikkon only nodded preferring to stay quite. Stig was short in height and rather round to the waist. He had green skin and a frog shaped face. He wore a dark blue robe with a large hood he had currently over his head.

Noticing the curiosity in Goku, Stig replied, "My skin dries out quick. I wouldn't last longer than an hour without my robe." He pulled his sleeve up to reveal paling green skin. "Look at that I'm already drying up. The sooner we leave the better I say." "One moment Stig." King Kai said and rounded on Goku and Pikkon. "You'll need to be getting rid of those if you want to blend in." With a wave of his hand, the halos above Goku and Pikkon disappeared. "Enjoy your second chance at life boys, don't blow it." Goku looked puzzled, "If you could give us are lives back, why are you still dead?" "It's a special gift from the Grand Kai, I'm only the middle man." King Kai responded. Goku still looked confused as King Kai bowed and said, "I must be going now, best of luck the universe rest upon your shoulders."

Pikkon returned the bow, but Goku simply shrugged and turned to face Stig. "Alright quickly now, each of you take a neckless and put it on." Stig said. He produced three necklaces from the sleeve of his robe. They were made of silver chain and a rather large sapphire. When Goku took his, he almost dropped it, "Man these things are heavy, what are they for?" Stig responded, "They allow for interdimensional travel." He placed the last on around his neck, "Now if you would be so kind as to place a hand on shoulder. Interdimensional travel is not a pleasant experience, but whatever you do, do not take your hand from my shoulder or you may find yourself lost in a dimension for all eternity." This perked Goku's curiosity, "What do you mean, there are more just two dimension?" "There are an infinite amount dimension Goku. But now is not the time for questions. Quickly now I don't have all day," Stig said hastily. "Imagine that these neckless are ships and I am the pilot. I simply guide us to our destination."

Goku and Pikkon each placed a hand on Stig's shoulders. "Here we go." With a loud pop, Goku felt his body being squished as if all his extremities where trying to fit in his chest. Then an unknown force pulled them into darkness. Goku felt like was traveling a thousand miles a second. He heard noises, voices of unrecognizable languages. Images whipped by, he saw grotesque beings and demented figures. Finally it stopped. The compressing sensation left as quickly as it came. The ground came rising out of nowhere to slam into his feet. He fell face first into the densely packed soil beneath him. As he rose to his feet, shaking his head to regain his vision he took in his surroundings.

He looked around and all he could see was endless grey dirt pot marked with crater holes. The sky was black and the stars shown bright and plenty. He turned around and saw a massive concrete compound. Pikkon spoke first, "where are we?" Stig removed his hood and spoke, "This is planet Dromida. You will find a space ship waiting for you inside the compound. The coordinates are already set so all you have to do is push the big green button. This is where we part ways, good luck." Once Stig collected the necklaces, he disappeared with a pop.

Goku and Pikkon looked at each other, "I guess we have no choice but to get to that ship." Pikkon said. Goku nodded taking the lead towards the compound. Once they reached the compound, they found that it was empty, not a soul to be found. "What do you think happened to everyone?" Goku asked. "I don't know, but this place gives me the creeps. Let's find that ship and get out of here." Pikkon responded. After 20 minutes of exploring the compound they found a courtyard with a small ship in the center. It only had room for two seats, the engine and thrusters. Its sleek design reminded Goku of the hover cars on Earth. "We have to ride in that for two weeks?" Goku groaned. "Come on, the universe is counting on us." Pikkon said sarcastically. They climbed in and once settled, Pikkon located and pushed the only green button on the console. The engine came to life and the ship slowly rose until it cleared the compound. Then without warning the ship blasted off at breakneck speeds. A fine purple smoke filled the cockpit and soon Goku fell into a deep sleep.

Goku dreamt he was walking up to a two story brick house. It had a large front porch and second floor balcony. He walked up to the front door and went to open it finding that it wouldn't budge. Pushing as hard as he could, he managed to open it wide enough to slip in. The door slammed shut behind him. Inside he saw a grand staircase leading up to the upper floor. The floors were made of white marble polished to a shine. The wood walls and towering ceilings boasted of wealth and power. A massive gold chandelier hung in the center.

Goku tried to call out, but found his voice wouldn't work. Guided by only his instincts he made his way left across the room to the last door before the stairs. He opened the door, this time it swung open easily at his touch. The room inside was a small living room complete with a fireplace and cushioned chairs made of rich mahogany wood. Two doors each grand in their display occupied the opposite wall. Goku walked over to the doors; this time before he even reached out to open them, they opened by themselves as if beckoning Goku inside. The doors opened to reveal a bedroom. A bed fit for a king took the majority of the room. The walls were filled with paintings of beautiful landscapes and magnificent castles. White curtains draped the bed fluttered in a breeze from an open door to the left. Turning Goku walked over to the door and outside onto a small balcony overlooking a large open yard surrounded by thick trees and mountains far in the distance.

A tingling sensation creeped into his mind, _I'm not alone_. He made his way back into the bedroom, the doors had closed going into the small living room. He could hear muffled voices coming through them. Panicking, Goku looked around for a place to hide, but it was too late. The doors opened and in walked a man dress in suit and tie, a woman in an elegant black dress wearing a giant pear neckless, and a little girl no more than four wearing simple clothes. The little girl's auburn colored hair tangled down to her shoulders. She clutched a dirty and worn looking stuffed bear tightly to her chest.

"This is your new bedroom Nim, do you like it?" the woman asked. The little girl stared at the woman and then at big bed. "I've never slept by myself before. I'm scared of being alone." Tears started to form in Nim's eyes.

"Shh, there's no reason to be upset, you can sleep with us in our room. This is your home now and we are your parents now. We love you very much and always will." The man said. He knelt down and scoped his newly adopted daughter in a hug. The daughter smiled and returned the hug.

A knock echoed in the silent moment of the hug. "Sire, the Lord of Brookdale Isle is here to see you." The man looked at his daughter and kissed her forehead. As he opened the door to leave, Goku heard two words, "Ambassador Yullis."

Once again the darkness returned and Goku felt himself falling. He heard a voice in the back of his mind, "We meet again Goku." "Who are you?" Goku called out his voice working again or was it just in his mind. "That is not a question I will answer at this time. Just listen for now. Dark times lie ahead and the greatest challenge you will ever face. I see enemies hiding behind false masks. Friends burning in a field of fire. Your world as you know it will change forever. Remember to always look down." Goku did as was told and looked down. He saw the Earth, a tiny ball of light in the distance of space. The longer he looked the bigger Earth got. He saw the green of the continents in the vast blue oceans. The world turned red as great fissures erupted on the surface. Then in a violent explosion the world disappeared into chunks of molten rock. Goku let out a horrified cry, but no sound reached his ears. "Look to your past to find your future. There you will find all that you seek." The voice said.

"Goku…Goku…wake up. We're here." Goku woke from his slumber. He felt groggy like he had been drugged. Pikkon was leaning over him shaking him awake. The ship had landed in a small clearing surrounded by dense foliage. The trees towered over head, much taller than any tree Goku had seen. The sky was a light blue with no clouds in sight. Goku felt extremely light and figured that the gravity was low on this planet. He climbed out the ship and stretched. He felt sore from sleeping for two weeks straight. After throwing a couple punches and high kicks, he felt as good as new. He walked over to Pikkon who was standing at the edge of the clearing, "I guess we find out where everyone is huh?" Pikkon nodded and pointed in the direction he was facing, "I sense a lot of energies coming from that direction. I say we go see what's in store for us." Goku got serious, even he knew it was no time for play. "Alright let's go."

They decided not to fly as to not attract any unwanted attention. They walked for three hours before the thick trees started to lessen and the sun poked through the canopy. Up and up the climbed until they were out of the forest completely and climbing up a bare mountain side. On and on they hiked as the hours past them by. When they finally reached the top of the mountain the sun was low in the sky. Far below them in the valley between two mountains, stood a castle. Its outer walls stood 100 feet tall and so thick that five people could walk on top side by side with their arms stretched out. Inside the walls, Goku counted seven tall towers connected by long halls. In the middle stood a massive pond bordered by the great trees of the forest. The pond was feed by a river that came from the deep within the mountains from the north. Goku followed it south where he saw it connect with a larger river.

Pikkon spoke bring Goku out of his thoughts, "I say we set up camp here. Stay low for a couple of days and come up with a plan to…" Before he could finish his sentence, Goku's stomach rumbled loudly. He collapsed on the ground, "Before we do anything I need to eat. I've never been so hungry In my life." Pikkon looked at him with disgust, "Fine go get yourself some food, but be quiet about it." Goku smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Don't worry I'll be back before you know it." He turned and ran down the mountain side back into the forest.

The sun was long gone by the time Goku had returned. He dragged behind him an animal that closely resembled a cow. Underneath one of his arms he had a sack made of leaves full of water. "Hey look what I found…Pikkon….Pikkon where are you." Goku called out as loudly as he dared. No answer. He scratched his head but then shrugged. He set to work making a fire and cooking his meal. A couple hours later, he belched and rubbed his stomach. After he ate his heart's content, the whole cow, he stoked the fire one last time before falling asleep. Pikkon was still nowhere to be found.

He woke the next morning by a hard kick to his side. "Wake up Goku. We have work to do." It was Pikkon. Goku rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and stretched. "Where did you go? Why didn't you come back last night?" He asked. Pikkon sat down and pulled out a bag of wild berries he had collected. He grabbed some for himself and then tossed the bag to Goku. "I was scouting the area. It looks like this castle is the only sign of people for miles around. This must be where Yullis is." Goku shoved a handful of berries into his mouth, "You come up with a plan yet? I hate waiting around." He said in between mouthfuls. Pikkon gave him a look of repulsion, "I will never get use to how much you eat and no I have not come up with a plan. We hang low today and watch from up here." Goku simply smiled, "You're the boss."

They spent the day watching from the mountain top. The castle below was teaming with people. Several times a day, big vehicles would make their way in and out of the castle through the giant portcullis on the outer wall. They watched as people made their way from tower to tower. Some would stop by the pond in the middle. Every now and then a ship would fly overhead. Goku would leave to stretch his legs and shadow spar, but not Pikkon. He sat still as a statue never taking his eyes of the castle. Neither Goku nor Pikkon spoke all day.

The next two days passed the previous way. He had given up on watching what was happening down below for a while now. The same things happened day after day they were watching. But not Pikkon, he still sat in the same position taking in every detail and activity that happened below. When the sun was low on the horizon and the two moons of Lassos had shown their faces on the opposite side of the world, Pikkon finally turned to face Goku and said, "I have a plan. Well at least a way to get in unnoticed. We go tomorrow."


	6. Gohan 3

Gohan

The punches came fast and hard. Vegeta was on the offence raining down fist after fist. Gohan found himself giving up ground. He blocked Vegeta's attacks waiting for an opening. He didn't have to wait long, Vegeta leaned a little too much on his right foot. Gohan quickly swept his foot out making contact with Vegeta's right foot and knocking him off balance. Gohan shot out two punches to Vegeta chest pushing back. Then to finish the attack, Gohan went for a round house kick to the side of Vegeta's head. Unfortunately for Gohan, Vegeta anticipated this very move and followed through with his own counter. He ducked under Gohan's kick and sent a quick jab to Gohan's left side. Then two more on his chest knocking the wind out of him as well as knocking him over. Vegeta wiped the sweet from his face as Gohan took a few moments to catch his breath. "You rely too much on your strength and not enough on strategy. I could read your attacks easier than Bulma can spend money," Vegeta grunted.

They were in the gravity chamber getting an early morning workout in. It had been 7 days since they left Earth. The only thing to do was to train, so that's what they did. They trained for endless hours, only to take a break to eat and sleep. Other things like personal hygiene where left by the wayside. The 7 days went quick for Gohan, Vegeta saw to that. They had been fighting without using the super saiyan form, Vegeta thought that would be a good idea, also they worried that the ship wouldn't be able to take the beating that two super saiyans were bound to make. Gohan found that he was at quite a disadvantage against Vegeta in his base form. The man's years of fighting experience and near flawless form made it exceedingly difficult to land a hit on him. At the beginning of the trip Vegeta was beating Gohan senseless, it wasn't until now that he started to land punches on Vegeta.

Gohan got to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow, "I can't do anything else until I get something eat. I'm starving." With that said he walked over to the ladder in the middle of the room. As he reached out to grab the ladder, Vegeta knocked him down. "Where do you think you're going? I never said we were finished." Gohan groaned, ever since they left Earth Vegeta has done nothing but shout orders. It was as if Vegeta was reliving his Freiza days, giving orders to Nappa and Radditz. A ruthless and merciless Vegeta could be disastrous or could save the lives of many people. He was a true wild card and that thought scared the hell out of Gohan.

Gohan dropped into his familiar stance and waited for Vegeta to do the same. Wasting no time, Gohan charged in at full power. He fired punch after punch onto the unprepared older saiyan. Vegeta could do nothing but block the punches. Gohan raised his hands to his eyes and shouted, "Solar Flair". A blinding white light filled the room. To Gohan surprise he felt a fist make contact with his gut sending back a few feet onto the floor. Once again Gohan was struggling to catch his breath. "When I said to be less predictable, I didn't mean for you to use a cheap trick. You think I would fall for such a cheap shot like that. Now on your feet, we go again." Gohan groaned again, but got to his feet anyway. He knew it would be a long day.

And it was. Gohan never ached so much after a training session with Vegeta. After a light dinner of freeze dried noodles and rice, Gohan left Vegeta in the kitchen to go to bed. He had the top bunk, if it could even be called a bunk bed. His bed was so small that he couldn't even stretch out all the way when he was lying down. Not to mention he'd slam his head on the roof if he ever tried to sit up. After climbing into his steel framed top bunk and getting as comfortable as he could he drifted off into a restless sleep.

Gohan found himself chained to a wooden chair. In front of him a dais towered over him. He saw people sitting at the top looking down on him. They had disapproving looks on their faces. Gohan felt like he was on trial for committing the most heinous acts of crime. On closer inspection he saw that everyone here were people he loved, also everyone here had died at some point in their lives. He saw his father, Krillin, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, Chaotzu, Future Trunks, and Mr. Popo sitting in the first row all staring down at him. There several more faces behind them but they were hidden in shadow. The room was made of stone bricks and the walls seemed to disappear into a mist that hid the ceiling. Gohan felt trapped like a rat, a cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. That's when he noticed the voices. They started as a whisper, slowly getting louder and more audible. Gohan heard his father's voice first. It was layered in sadness and anger, "Why son, why didn't you kill Cell straight away like I said. You could have saved me, you should have saved me. You are no son of mine." Gohan couldn't believe what he was hearing coming out his father's mouth. Salty tears streamed down Gohan's face, he wanted wipe them away but could move. He wanted to scream at his father but found that his mouth was sown shut. "You may not speak, while receiving judgement." A woman whispered into his ear. He could only move his eyes, but that's all he needed. He saw his mother standing there, yet she looked unkempt and sickly. She held a needle and thread in her hand. "Sowing is just my favorite, honey. I do such a good job at it," Chichi let an ear shattering cackle. Gohan looked at his mother, was she always wearing a black dress and when did her skin become so wrinkled. He looked into his mother's black eyes fearing what would come next. She spread her arms as if she was going to embrace Gohan. Her black hair standing straight as if she was under water. She let out a loud scream showing fangs dripping blood and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

The tears flowed evermore as Gohan returned his gaze up to his friends and family sitting on the dais. He made eye contact with Piccolo, he saw nothing but hatred in his face. "All you had to do was attack Nappa. I wouldn't have had to die by Nappa's hands saving your life. A moment I've regretted ever since." Krillin spoke up next, "We had to go to Namik because of you. I died on that planet from your mistakes." Gohan couldn't take it, he tried to shut eyes, do anything to make it stop. Mr. Popo looked down at Gohan with no emotion on his face. "And now you can't save Dende. Dende's death will be on your hands." Gohan could hear Dende screaming in his head to save him. "I don't want to die Gohan. Please don't let me die." His father spoke again, "You were supposed to be Earth's savior, but you blew it all away. We have come to a decision and the verdict is death and damnation. May your soul rot in Hell." Gohan felt himself slipping through his chair and falling through the floor. The darkness enclosed around him and he was alone. "Gohan…Gohan…Gohan!" a voice called out in the darkness.

Gohan woke with a violent shake. He was drenched in sweat and his heart was pounding. Vegeta stood at Gohan's side shoving him awake. "Shut the hell up, I can't sleep with you moaning like that." The dream still burned fresh in Gohan's mind. It was all too real. "Don't worry I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon." Gohan replied. He climbed out his bed and put a fresh gi. "I'll be in the kitchen" he said and left Vegeta to his sleep. In the kitchen, Gohan made himself a snack and glass of hot tea and tried to clear his mind. It was just a dream he told himself but that didn't help. He knew deep down that Cell was responsible for his father's death, but that didn't stop Gohan from feeling that he is partly to blame. Gohan sat in the dark for about 10 minutes when heard the bedroom door open and close. Vegeta came into the kitchen and turned on the light switch. Gohan squinted as his eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lighting. Vegeta walked over to a bin with the word beverages on it and opened it. He took out a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He sat down opposite of Gohan and poured two glasses. He handed one to Gohan and said, "Have you ever had alcohol before?" Gohan stared down at the glass sitting in front of him, "no" he mumbled. "Go on take a sip, it will help," Vegeta drained his glass and filled it again. Gohan picked up his glass, sniffed it and gagged. "You don't drink it for the taste," Vegeta said. Gohan took a small sip, it burned going down leaving a bad after taste. It was revolting. Vegeta smirked, "It gets better after a few sips." Gohan took another a sip, it was still just as bad as the first one. He set down his glass and look up at Vegeta, "Do you blame me for my father's death?"

"You had the means to prevent it, but it was his choice to remain dead," Vegeta got up, pushed his chair in and made his way to the door, "Drink. It will help you sleep," with that said he stole back to his bed. Gohan looked down at his glass, it was still half full. He took another sip, before dumping the rest down the drain in the sink. Then he too made his way back to his bunk. Gohan fell into an uneasy sleep, but this time he had no dreams.

The last three days of the trip went by with nothing out of the ordinary. The night before they were supposed to land came much too quick for Gohan. He was nervous about what they would find on the planet, or more importantly what they wouldn't find. Vegeta had decided that it was best to rest for the last day, if shit hit the fan, then they would be ready. Gohan was sitting the co-pilots chair staring out of the cockpit window. He could see New Namek suspended in front of them, like a beacon in the night. New Namek came into view a few days ago, but now they were so close Gohan could make out a large blue land mass and smaller islands that dotted the green seas. He left his chair and went into the kitchen where he found Vegeta eating dinner. Gohan grabbed some dinner as well and sat down opposite of Vegeta and ate in silence.

Gohan was finishing up when he was violently thrown to the ground, an explosion rocked the hull. "What was that?" he asked startled. Vegeta didn't respond for he was already out the door to check on the situation. Another explosion hit the space ship, this time the lights went out, quickly replaced by red flashing lights. An automated female's voice played through a speaker system wired throughout the ship, "Warning, Power Generator failure. Diverging power to life support systems." The thrusters shut down, leaving the two saiyans stranded in space. Gohan tried to follow Vegeta onto the bridge, but the artificial gravity shut down leaving Gohan floating in the kitchen. He used his energy to propel himself to the bridge. Gohan saw a space ship outside the large bay window. It fired a harpoon at the ship. "Space Pirates," Vegeta said. A video screen on the control deck fuzzed into life. An alien's head appeared on screen. It was green and scaly with scars covering its face. "Har, what do we 'ave ere. If I didn't know better, I would say we ave a couple o' saiyans. There's nice bounty out for any saiyans still alive. Surrender now and I'll give ya over to Lord Cooler in one piece," the space pirate hissed. A very generous offer was placed on any saiyan still living after King Cold and Freiza perished on Earth.

Vegeta looked at Gohan and whispered while covering his mouth, "Frieza's brother. Hmm, there's a chance Freiza might have told him about the dragon balls on Namik which could have lead him to earth. He's are best chance at finding out where Dende is. If we let ourselves get captured, this clown of a pirate will take us right to him." The change of plan didn't sit well with Gohan, they were so close to Namek it didn't seem right to abandon it now. Sensing Gohan's hesitation, Vegeta added, "We can always come back after we see what Cooler has to offer." Before Gohan could offer a response, the alien pirate spoke, "We're comin aboard don't try anything or I peel tha flesh off yer bones har." The alien let out a sickening laugh as he terminated the connection. On cue six aliens floated out of a hatch on the pirate space craft. "Keep your ki suppressed, but not too much. We have to make it look convincing," Vegeta lectured. Gohan rolled his eyes, for he was already two steps ahead of him. He had his ki suppressed and his space suit already halfway on.

The pirates boarded the Capsule Corp ship and found the two saiyans waiting calmly with their hands up. One of them spoke, "Keep yer hands up where we can see em. Now move along nice an easy and nobody gets hurt." The alien talking had a gun pointed at Vegeta. Giving no fight the two saiyans allowed themselves to be lead to the pirate ship. The pirate spacecraft was twice the size of the Capsule Corps ship. The inside of the ship was messy and neglected, giving Gohan an ominous sense of dread. They were forced into a gloomy room and placed in chains shackled to the wall. When the alien deckhands were satisfied, they left the two in darkness.


	7. Gohan 4

Gohan

Time went by all in darkness. Days, weeks, months could have gone by and Gohan would not have known the difference. Only the darkness and the occasional food and water to keep them alive. After what seemed like an eternity, a door opened grinding on its rusty hinges. Rough hands grabbed Gohan and lifted him to his feet. He felt the shackles around his wrists and ankles loosen and fall off completely. The light poured in from behind the door blinding his sensitive eyes. But before his eyes could adjust a sack was thrown over his head putting him back into darkness. New shackles bound his hands behind his back. He was shoved forcefully and almost lost his balance. He walked forward letting his captor guide him. Left then right down a long hallway and down a ramp. He counted two more lefts and one right before the bag was lifted from his head. He was shoved to the ground, slamming his knees onto the hard tiled floor. Once his eyes adjusted his mouth hung slightly agape. For he was in a massive hall. The mirrored floor reflected the dark red hues of the giant columns, as big as the red wood trees he saw pictures of in his school books. They ran the span of the whole room. The ceiling towered over them glittered with gold, shinning off the torch light walls. Gohan brought eyes forward, he almost didn't believe what he saw. A throne carved from foreign metal that shimmered in the light. The more he focused on the throne the more it seemed to wave back in forth. But what shocked Gohan the most was not the alien throne, but the alien that was sitting on it.

Gohan would have thought it was Freiza, if he hadn't already seen Trunks blast him to dust. The alien looked just like Freiza in his final form, except he was mostly purple with a white chest plate and helm. He had a shiny blue elongated orb on his forehead and red vertical stripes under his eyes. He sat lazily with a glass of wine in his hand. "What a surprise today has been, first my men found and brought me the best wine in the galaxy and now the one and only prince of the monkeys shows up at my door step," Cooler laughed. His voice calm yet commanding sent a chill down Gohan's spine. "I killed Freiza and then I killed your father. I will kill you too!" Vegeta spat on the floor. Cooler eyed him coldly, "Do you take me for a fool Vegeta! I know it wasn't you who killed my father and brother, but another saiyan. One they say was from a third class fighter. That must wound your pride." Cooler laughed again. Cooler's attention then turned to Gohan, his icy stare penetrated deep into Gohan's composure. Cooler laughed again, "This must be the son of the saiyan that killed my family. Now this truly surprising, looks like today will be a good day after all. I will get my revenge for my father and brother's stupidity and finally rid the galaxy of you pesky monkeys." As threatning as Cooler was, Gohan had to force a smirk from his face. In truth it had been Vegeta's son, Trunks to kill both Freiza and his father.

Cooler stood and walked to stand in front of Vegeta, "get up," he grabbed Vegeta with his tail lifted him to his feet. "I will kill you first then the boy". It was now Vegeta's turn to laugh, "You think you can kill me, I'm your worst nightmare a super saiyan." With that he powered to his max forcing Cooler to let go off him. He ripped off his bindings a rubbed the soreness out of his wrist. Gohan did the same, the energy rejuvenating his body. Vegeta looked at Gohan and said, "This is my fight." Gohan simply nodded. Gohan turned and gave everyone else who was still in the great hall a simple, but menacing look. A look that said don't even think about interfering. All but a few dropped what weapons they were holding and ran as fast as they could.

Vegeta looked Cooler in the eye, "I'm waiting." Rage erupted in Cooler and he let out a primal scream as he powered up and charged Vegeta. The two collided in full force causing the closest columns to explode from the shockwaves. They traded blow for blow, punch for punch, both evenly matched. They separated never breaking eye contact. "I see why my little brother had such trouble with you pesky monkeys," Cooler laughed mockingly. Vegeta clenched his jaw, "laugh now but when I'm through with you will be begging for mercy. Only then will I kill you." Cooler's smile was replaced with a scowl, "Why you insolent fool, no one threatens Lord Cooler."

The two collided again, punches and kicks were thrown but to no avail. They were evenly matched. Finally Cooler let a punch slip through his defenses and it hit him square in the chest. The force of the hit pushed Cooler back. Vegeta smirked, "Enough of the warm up, let's see what you're truly made of." It was Coolers turn to smirk this time, "I thought you would never ask. Don't take me for a fool. I will not make the same mistake as my brother. I will show you my true power. A form I've never had to use before. You should feel honored." Vegeta dropped his fighting stance, "I hope it doesn't take all day for you to transform, I'm ready to get back home. To my bed where my woman is keeping it warm."

Cooler clenched his fist at his sides and pushed his power to its limit and beyond. Cracks appeared on his white armor plating, spreading across his body. Then in a bright flash of white light his bio armor exploded from his body revealing his final transformation. He was taller and more muscular than before. Four spikes grew out of his head and his face was covered by a visor. Only his eyes could be seen. His shoulder armor bulked up and two small spikes came out of his cuffs. It was an impressive sight to behold, but what surprised Gohan the most was the power he was now sensing from Cooler. The last time Gohan felt such power was from Cell.

Cooler's laugh came soft but it steadily increased into a madding cackle. "Tremble at the glory that is Lord Cooler. No saiyan can stand to my power, not even a super saiyan." His voice was deeper than before. He charged at Vegeta with speeds quicker than Gohan would have imagined and Vegeta as well. Cooler's fist connected with Vegeta's face sending him crashing through a column and into the wall. Vegeta got to his feet and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "Not bad, but it will take more than that to put me down." Vegeta charged sending blow after blow at Cooler, but he blocked all of them with ease. Cooler grabbed both of Vegeta's fist locking them both into a power struggle. "Give up, Vegeta you cannot win." Vegeta only replied with a smirk. A gust of wind blew through the open hall as Vegeta pushed his power higher and higher. His hair changed to yellow, his eyes to teal. With new found strength Vegeta overpowered Cooler and landed a skull crushing head-butt. For brief second Gohan saw fear flash across Cooler's face. Vegeta took the offence and landed punches after punches. To finish his devastating combo he drove his knee hard into Cooler's bio breast plate, cracking it like plywood. "Now it is your turn to tremble at the power of a super saiyan," Vegeta said with blood lust in his eye. He grabbed Cooler's tail and swung him round and round before letting him fly into several columns that came toppling down on top of him.

The great hall shook, threatening to come down at any second. Gohan called out, "This place is coming down. Finish it quick." Vegeta walked over to Cooler who was trying to crawl away. He brought his foot down hard on Cooler's back pinning him to the ground. With a violent kick, Vegeta flipped him over.

Cooler cowered in fear or pain, it did not matter to Vegeta as he grabbed Cooler's tail and squeezed hard. "I have a few questions for you and you're going to answer them or last minutes of your life will be the worst pain you have ever known." Before Cooler could respond, Vegeta ripped his tail off, blood poured out and pooled onto the floor. Gohan turned away, he had come to terms that he was capable of killing to protect his life and the lives of the ones he loved, but he couldn't stomach torcher. Cooler screamed, "Okay okay, I'll tell you anything you want." Vegeta smirked, "A Namekian was taken from Earth, where is he?"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about. I thought all the Namekians died when Freiza destroyed their planet."

"Wrong answer." Vegeta shot a hole through Cooler's thigh then brought down his fist slamming it hard against the fresh wound. Cooler let out a cry of pain mixed with fear. "I swear it's the truth, please make it stop it beg you."

"The pain you feel now is nothing compared to what will come next. Where is the namekian?" The cruelty in Vegeta's voice made Gohan gulp. Vegeta squeezed Cooler's thigh even tighter causing the overlord to cough up blood. "A man came by asking for the coordinates of Earth. He wore a cloak and a hood over his face blocking it from view. I would have told him to piss off, but he showed me his left wrist. He had the tattoo of a black hand with the middle finger cut off at the knuckle. The mark of the Demon Syndicate. You would be no more than a pesky fly to them, not even worth their attention," Cooler cried out as Vegeta slammed a fist into his stomach. "Who sent him?"

"I do not know, they operate under secrecy. But I do know that they come from the South Galaxy. The other side of the Universe, where my father dared not to go out of fear. There's rumors of a war…a war that will…" Cooler never finished his sentence. The life faded from his eyes.

Gohan placed a hand on Vegeta shoulder, "This whole damn place is coming down, we need to find a ship and get out of here." Vegeta nodded and took the lead, sprinting down the long throne room. They retraced there steps, turning down hallways left and right. "I think the hanger should be through here," Vegeta yelled over the rumbling noise of the throne room collapsing, pointing down a hallway. Dust and debris followed them as they raced down the last corridor. There was a light at the end growing ever bigger as they got closer. They broke through the light barrier, coughing the dirt out of their lunges. They had reached the hanger. They quickly scanned for their ship but could not find it anywhere. "What now?" Gohan asked.

"We take Cooler's," Vegeta said and took off leaving Gohan to follow in his wake. Cooler's ship looked just like the one Freiza had on planet Namik. Complete with its saucer shape and circular windows spanning the circumference. They quickly made their way to the cockpit, where Vegeta punched several buttons and the ship came to life. "Just like Freiza's," Vegeta said more to himself. In an instant they were blasting through the atmosphere and into space. Once safely in space, Gohan let out a deep sigh. They now had a lead on Dende, however small it maybe.

Vegeta broke the silence, "It looks like we are on the east side of the North galaxy. With this ship, we should be in the South Galaxy in little under a year." What little hope Gohan was feeling fled his body, a lot could happen in a year.


End file.
